Obama Frames Iraq Plan
Americans Divided Between His Approach and McCain's
July 14, 2008— -- As he gears up for his trip to Iraq and Afghanistan some time later this month, Barack Obama will outline his strategy for bringing the war in Iraq to an end, finishing the fight in Afghanistan and will frame the larger global strategic interests of the United States, per his campaign.
The rollout started with a New York Times editorial today and continues Tuesday with a speech at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington DC which his campaign is deeming a "major policy address on Iraq and national security."
Per ABC News' Sunlen Miller, Obama will contrast his positions on national security with those of presumptive Republican nominee John McCain and will emphasize his opposition to the war in Iraq. Expect Obama to reiterate what he said in today's New York Times editorial, and a key point the campaign wants to get across -- "As I have often said, I would consult with commanders on the ground and the Iraqi government to ensure that our troops were redeployed safely, and our interests protected."
New ABC News/Washington Post poll
As Obama emphasizes his plans for the war in Iraq, a new ABC News/Washington Post poll finds that Americans are divided evenly between his and McCain's approaches to the war in Iraq, while McCain gets higher ratings on his abilities as commander-in-chief, ABC News Polling Director Gary Langer reports.
From Langer:
"Despite broad, longstanding dissatisfaction with the war, just 50 percent of Americans prefer Obama's plan to withdraw most U.S. forces within 16 months of taking office. Essentially as many, 49 percent, side with McCain's position – setting no timetable and letting events dictate when troops are withdrawn."
"The public's dissatisfaction with the war, furthermore, has not translated into a clear preference on what to do about it. In previous ABC/Post polls there's been no significant demand for immediate withdrawal, given concern about what might follow – a result buttressed by the split in this survey even on whether or not to establish a timetable."
McCain hit back today in a media avail saying that Obama was wrong for not supporting the surge and questioning the policy and wrong now.
"[Obama] said that the surge couldn't succeed. He said he opposed the increase in troops. The surge has succeeded. We were losing when we put the 30,000 additional troops in with a new strategy. He said it would fail and he still refuses to acknowledge that it is succeeding," McCain said.
McCain added, "Senator Obama was wrong when he said it wouldn't succeed. He was wrong when he said we've lost the war, and he is wrong today when he says that Iraq is not the central battleground. That's what General Petraeus says and that's what Osama bin Laden says, that Iraq is the central battleground. We are winning there and his proposals would jeopardize the fragility of the success we've achieved. And his refusal to acknowledge that success is remarkable."
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